World Federalist Movement

The World Federalist Movement "evolved out of a series of organizations and efforts that started in the 1930s as a response to the failure of the League of Nations. At the end of the violence of the Second World War, numerous citizens groups formed across Europe and North America to address the need for effective mechanisms of ensuring international peace and stability. The groups started working independently of each other, publishing newsletters and pushing for reform and monitoring of the newly formed United Nations. By 1947 these independent groups recognized the need for unity in their movement if they were to achieve unity in the world. They agreed to meet in Montreux, Switzerland in August 1947 to work on forming a cohesive and effective group...

"At first, world federalists sought fundamental revisions of the United Nations Charter. After 1965, however, it became apparent that any political will among the world’s national governments to change the Charter had dissipated. Later world federalists continued to propose reforms of existing institutions to make them more effective and democratic. Many focussed on the effort to transform the General Assembly into a world parliament that can enact world law instead of merely making non-binding resolutions. In addition, world federalists made proposals for new United Nations institutions and international organs, such as the Commission on Sustainable Development, International Development Authority, and International Criminal Court (ICC). In 1983 the Institute for Global Policy was founded to support research and writings about world federalism."


 * Lois Wilson, President (2007-) (served as acting President from 2004 until 2007)
 * Sir Peter Ustinov, President (1991-2004)

Executive Committee
Accessed December 2008:


 * Barbara Walker - United States
 * Bente Nielsen - Denmark
 * Edward Chobanian - United States
 * James Arputharaj - Sri Lanka
 * James Christie - Canada
 * Keith Best - United Kingdom
 * Lois Wilson - Canada
 * Lucio Levi - Italy
 * Tony Fleming - United States
 * William Pace - United States

Council
Accessed December 2008:


 * Akira Takagi - Japan
 * Barbara Walker - United States
 * Bente Nielsen - Denmark
 * Dambar Bir Thapa - Nepal
 * Don Kraus - United States
 * Edward Chobanian - United States
 * Edward Rawson - United States
 * Erich Wettstein - Switzerland
 * Fergus Watt - Canada
 * Fernando Iglesias - Argentina
 * Francisco Plancarte - Mexico
 * George Mathew - India
 * Giovanni Finizio - Italy
 * James Arputharaj - Sri Lanka
 * James Christie - Canada
 * Jørgen Estrup - Denmark
 * Jean-Francis Billion - France
 * Jean-Paul Pougala - Italy
 * Joseph Schwartzberg - United States
 * Karen Hamilton - Canada

Contact

 * Web: http://www.wfm.org

Books

 * Joseph Baratta, The Politics of World Federation: From World federalism to Global Governance (Praeger, 2004).

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * American Movement for World Government
 * One World Trust
 * UN Democracy Caucus
 * Global Action to Prevent War
 * Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict
 * European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation
 * Colette Tamko
 * Lucy Law Webster
 * MacArthur Foundation: Human Rights and International Justice, Recent Grants
 * Urs Cipolat
 * Shariar Sharei
 * John O. Sutter
 * Responsibility to Protect - Project
 * John Roberts (OWT) - former chair